The manipulation of Kate Middleton's new photo fuels more conspiracy theories

Kensington Palace has suffered the boomerang effect of a botched communications strategy that has only further fueled conspiracy theories surrounding the whereabouts and health of Kate Middleton. The Princess of Wales had published a photo on social media this Sunday surrounded by her three children. She took advantage of the celebration in the United Kingdom of Mother’s Day to try to nip speculation about her health in the bud, after an “abdominal surgery” operation made her disappear, since January 17, from the public scene.

The millions of people who began to observe the photo down to the smallest detail pointed out obvious Photoshop manipulations.. At the end of the day, the most important communication agencies in the world – Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Getty – removed the snapshot from their servers; All of them warned their clients that the image had been altered from the original.

At least one detail – the end of the right sleeve of little Charlotte’s cardigan, sitting on the armrest of the chair where Kate Middleton sits – evidence that the photo has been manipulated. The girl’s wrist appears displaced, with a missing remnant of the sleeve.

Detail of the photo distributed by Kensington Palace, in which you can see the red sleeve of the manipulated girl’s jacket. Prince of Wales/Kensington Palac (via REUTERS)

Some people have also pointed out on social networks how Prince Louis’s hand (on the left) appears more blurry than normal, or the fact that the zipper on Middleton’s jacket is not aligned. Others have pointed to the absence of her wedding ring, although that does not necessarily correspond to a possible editing of the image.

The Princess of Wales is fond of photography, and for many years she has been responsible for photos of her family, which she then distributes to the media or publishes on social networks. In this case, Kensington Palace has attributed the authorship of the portrait to William of England, and thus they have asked for it to be specified when they made it public early on Sunday.

The agencies have not wanted to take responsibility for an image that they have not controlled at any time, and which they have serious suspicions that has been altered.

The communications team of the princes of Wales assured that the snapshot had been taken in Windsor earlier this week. It was an obvious way to try to stop the rumors and speculation about Kate Middleton since she underwent “abdominal surgery” about which Kensington Palace has so far refused to give more details, out of respect “for the privacy of the princess”.

The American gossip website TMZ published earlier this week a stolen photo of Middleton in the passenger seat of an Audi 4×4 driven by the princess’s mother, also around Windsor. Kate was wearing dark glasses and the image was blurry. The British media resisted publishing it, to preserve the privacy that the family had required. When the image of the princess with her children came to light this Sunday, all the newspapers and television stations in the United Kingdom began to publish it in a prominent place. The idea that they have finally been sold a manipulated image can quickly turn against the communications advisors of the Princes of Wales, and will fuel all kinds of theories on social networks about the true whereabouts or health of Kate Middleton.